Harry’s already gained legendary status (From This is Hampshire)

Harry’s already gained legendary status

12:24pm Saturday 1st November 2008

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By Lawrie McMenemy »

This week, by prior appointment, I was in London to be interviewed for an ITV special programme about the life of Brian Clough.

It happened to be the day after Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur played out an amazing 4-4 drawn game at the Emirates Stadium.

The Clough programme is television’s attempt to put a different side to the legend than two books written recently, particularly one (David Peace’s The Damned United) which covered the 44 days of Brian’s time as manager of Leeds United in 1974.

I read the book within two days and found it quite fascinating because real names were used and it was about an era when Saints were in regular competition with all the people mentioned.

I also had more than a close affinity than most with Leeds, Don Revie, Jack Charlton and also of course Brian Clough.

The book, although fascinating, upset Brian’s family. They felt, and I can understand it, that it didn’t really portray every side of him.

The book apparently has been so successful a film is in the process of being made. The TV programme is to be aired before the end of this season, in competition with the film, and they hope to show all sides of the man.

I only agreed to take part when I was informed that Brian’s widow Barbara and family approved. His son, Nigel, has agreed to be interviewed and they are hoping Barbara will as well.

My interview will not go on as long as the questions that were asked because they have a long list of people who will be taking part.

Peter Lorimer and Gordon McQueen from the Leeds camp when Brian took over have already been spoken to with players like Gary Birtles and Martin O’Neill, who played under Brian in the glory days at Forest, to come.

When it comes to manager’s wives, I’m not sure that Barbara would want to be in the limelight.

Like many other successful managers, Brian was married to the one lady for many years until his death.

If you look at the likes of Bill Shankly, Bill Nicholson, Joe Mercer, Jock Stein, Bob Paisley, Brian Clough, Bobby Robson, Ted Bates and myself you will find they all married early in their careers and had the same wife all through the successes and failures. And rarely, if at all, did any of them come out of the shadows.

If someone could persuade the wives or widows of these sorts of managers to write one chapter each in a book, providing they told the truth about the life and time of being a manager’s wife, it would be an eye opener and a bestseller.

I was able to relate many stories of the days when Brian, Bobby Robson and myself battled it out with Ipswich, Saints and Forest, three unfashionable clubs tweaking the tails of the big ones.

We had all cut our teeth in the lower divisions and, as I have said before, because our boards of directors gave us periods in the chair, between 12-18 years, we were able to nurture young players and bring success in repayment for their loyalty.So it was a funny coincidence that the memories I was asked to recount, including the day in 1977 when Bobby, Brian and myself gathered together at the FA headquarters to be interviewed for the England manager’s job, came in the same week that saw the appointment of Harry Redknapp at Tottenham.

I suppose two or three decades on, Harry is as near to a Cloughie as you will get in the Premiership.

He would be the first to admit he has yet to win as many things as Brian. But no matter what anyone says, he was very successful at Fratton Park and his move to Spurs will give him the opportunity to try and emulate Cloughie, though it will surely take some time as they are presently bottom.

The similarities are there in so far as Harry is a larger than life character recognised by his christian name alone, and he has been married a long time to the loyal Sandra who backs him up and stays in the background.

Harry, like a lot of us, gets involved in whatever community he is managing in and I know from personal experience he does a huge amount of charity work which is not always publicised.

He will have upset many of the supporters down the road by leaving but he has admitted this is his last chance to take on a big club – and what a start he has had.

Can anybody remember the last time Arsenal conceded four goals in a home game? I certainly can’t.

In the space of a few days he has probably already gained legendary status. He has the added advantage compared to Senor Ramos that he speaks the same type of language as the supporters do.

He is good as well at saying the right things at the right times.

His statements about bringing in English coaches such as ex-players Ferdinand and Sheringham and Clive Allen alongside Kevin Bond he says is his effort to make sure we have more homegrown managers in the future.

If he succeeds at Tottenham it could well be a turning point to stop the influx of foreign coaches which owners apparently have thought is the thing to do.

In the cold light of day, apart from Arsene Wenger, not many have stayed long enough to win that many things. Mourinho did well, but how long was he at Cheslea?

I know there are mixed feelings in our area about Harry, but forgetting all of that I will be watching with interest how this modern day Cloughie handles the wider spotlight and the bigger expectations that come with his new job.

His first task of course is to keep them in the division, and I’m sure Harry with his betting hat on would advise his mates that it is a safe bet.

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